Foundation column



Oct 29, 1963 'r. J. JACKSON 3,108,403

FOUNDATION comm Filed A ril 5, 1960 i I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Hal /2 l4 //4 2/ X /a 2/ I8 20 Thomas J. Jackson 1N VEN TOR.

Oct. 29, 1963 T. J. JACKSON FOUNDATION COLUMN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 5, 1960 Thomas J Jackson INVENTOR. I

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United States Patent 3,103,403 FOUNDATION COLUMN Thomas J. Jackson, Robstown, Tex. Filed Apr. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 20,214 4 Claims. (Cl. 50-100) This invention relates to structural devices and more particularly to building constructions of a permanent nature.

An object of the invention is to provide a building construction which is quite easily erected and which has the feature of an exceedingly solid and firm foundation.

One of the principal features of the invention is a foundation footing column for forming a very strong and satisfactory foundation for a building.

A foundation footing column in accordance with the invention is made of an outer housing with a tube in the housing firmly attached to the lower 'wall of the housing. The tube has one end projecting outwardly of the open upper end of the housing to form a fulcrumsoeket for both facilitating erection of structural framing and for very firmly receiving the structural framing.

The housing of the foundation column has a bell lower end so that a comparatively wide bearing surface is automatically provided for subgrade support and so that after back-fill there is a resistance to upward movement, deflection and floating of the foundation column.

Accordingly, a further object of the invention is to provide a unique foundation column providing for greater strength and rigidity of construction, by virtue of the configuration of the foundation column and its use.

Although the principles of the invention may be applied to numerous types of buildings and numerous sizes of buildings, one of the principal applications of the invention is in connection with buildings used in regions likely to have tornados and other unusual storm and wind hazards.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of the building constructed with foundation columns in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing one of the foundation columns and a structural framing member being erected.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the foundation column showing that it may be used without concrete and also the appearance of the column in crosssection prior to use.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the suggested connection between a structural framing member and foundation column.

In the accompanying drawings there is an illustration of abuilding 10 with a trussed roof 12 and walls 14 made of structural panels. The panels are each composed of a pair of vertical framing members 18 and 20, in the form of posts, together with cross bracing 21. Some of the upright structural members 22 are shown in FIGURE 3 without cross bracing 21, the purpose of the illustration being to show that the foundation columns 24 may be used in pairs, singly or in multipics of any practical number. For instance, an entire wall or a section of a wall may be prefabricated and erected on the job as shown in FIGURE 2. Alternatively, a single upright structural member 22 may be used.

Foundation footing column 24 (FIGURE 5) is constructed of an outer housing 26 having a cylindrical portion 28 arranged to prevent lateral displacement of the column in the earth and a truncated conical lower base portion 30 shaped to resist upward displacement. A transverse bottom Wall 32 is secured to and closes the lower wider end of truncated conical portion 30 so that the portion 30 and wall 32 form a bell at the lower end of the cylindrical portion 28 of housing 26. The upper end of portion 28 is open.

A structural tube 34 is mounted concentrically in housing 26 and has a number of outwardly and downwardly extending brackets 36 attached to the lower end thereof. Each bracket 36 has a laterally extending foot 38 which fits flush against the inner top surface of wall 32 and which is firmly attached in place, for instance by welding. This anchors the lower extremity of tube 32 with respect to the housing 26 and maintain the concentricity of tube 34 and housing 26. The upper end 40 of tube 34 projects beyond the upper edge 27 of the housing, and there is a cradle bevel edge 42 arranged as the uppermost edge of tube 34. The bevel edge terminates above edge 27.

In use, foundation footing column 24 which is a typical foundation column, is placed in the ground, after which backfill is placed around the foundation footing column. Concrete slab 48 founctioning as the floor or at least the sub-floor of the building 10 is poured with edge 27 of a typical foundation column being flush with the surface of the slab. This leaves the upper end 40 of tube 34 projecting above the surface of slab 48, and the portion of the slab surrounding the housing of the foundation column serves as an anchor for the foundation column, preventing it from shifting laterally. The bell of the column prevents upward movement, While the lower wall of the bell prevents downward movements of the column, whereby it is firmly held in place in the ground.

The erection of upright structural member 22 is comparatively simple, however, prior to erection the housing and tube may be filled with a compression resisting filler such as concrete 50 to prevent lateral deflection of the tube 34 (FIGURE 3) to the edge 27 of the foundation column. The use of concrete in this way is optional. Secondly, only the outer housing may be filled with concrete, leaving the majority of the length of tube 34 free from concrete, i.e., unfilled. These are design variations, although the foundation column may be filled with concrete at the time that slab 48 is poured. When so filled, concrete filler 50 may be brought up to the level of floor 48 as a compressive axial load support so that the height of the structural framing panels or upright members may be pre-designed.

To erect a typical structural frame member 22 one end is placed in the upwardly opening socket 5'4 which is formed by the tube 34. The beveled edge or at least, slanted edge 42 being made by an essentially diagonal cut at the top of tube 34 forms an upwardly opening cradle within which to receive one end of the member 22. Then the member is simply swung upwardly as shown in the dotted line position of FIGURE 2 until it is vertical. When in the vertical position it is welded in place as shown in FIGURE 7.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A foundation for supporting a structural member above the ground comprising, an outer housing having a vertically elongated portion and a base portion, said base portion having a bottom wall connected thereto and 00- operating therewith to resist vertical movement in both directions to vertically anchor the housing in the ground, said vertically elongated portion having an upper edge projecting above the ground, an anchoring slab disposed on the ground in surrounding relation to the housing for lateral anchoring thereof and having an upper surface flush with said upper edge of the elongated portion of the housing, a tube secured to the bottom wall and extending upwardly through the housing in spaced relation thereto, said tube having an upper end projecting above the upper surface of the slab, a filler disposed within the housing tor resisting lateral deflection of the tube Within the housing, said upper end of the tube being provided with a cradle bevel edge, whereby said structural member may be erected to a vertical position axially supported within the tube from a horizontal position on the slab with one end thereof pivotally supported in the upper end of the tube.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said filler is also disposed within the tube to a predetermined height therein for providing a compressive axial load support for the structural member.

3. The combination of claim 1, wherein said base portion of the housing is a truncated conical formation, said bottom wall closing a lower wider end of the base portion.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein said filler is also disposed within the tube to a predetermined height therein for providing a compressive axial load support for the structural member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 772,615 Hudson Oct. 18, 1904 905,888 Lally Dec. 8, 1908 1,190,002 Picuri July 4, 1916 1,472,654 Jackson Oct. 30, 1923 1,647,925 May Nov. 1, 1927 2,366,108 Hitchins Dec. 26, 1944 2,577,323 Goenner Dec. 4, 1951 2,629,465 Rhea Feb. 24, 1953 2,853,858 Mintz Sept. 30, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 834,910 France Sept. 12, 1938 756,922 Great Britain Sept. 12, 1956 

1. A FOUNDATION FOR SUPPORTING A STRUCTURAL MEMBER ABOVE THE GROUND COMPRISING, AN OUTER HOUSING HAVING A VERTICALLY ELONGATED PORTION AND A BASE PORTION, SAID BASE PORTION HAVING A BOTTOM WALL CONNECTED THERETO AND COOPERATING THEREWITH TO RESIST VERTICAL MOVEMENT IN BOTH DIRECTIONS TO VERTICALLY ANCHOR THE HOUSING IN THE GROUND, SAID VERTICALLY ELONGATED PORTION HAVING AN UPPER EDGE PROJECTING ABOVE THE GROUND, AN ANCHORING SLAB DISPOSED ON THE GROUND IN SURROUNDING RELATION TO THE HOUSING FOR LATERAL ANCHORING THEREOF AND HAVING AN UPPER SURFACE FLUSH WITH SAID UPPER EDGE OF THE ELONGATED PORTION OF THE HOUSING, A TUBE SECURED TO THE BOTTOM WALL AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH THE HOUSING IN SPACED RELATION THERETO, SAID TUBE HAVING AN UPPER END PROJECTING ABOVE THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SLAB, A FILLER DISPOSED WITHIN THE HOUSING FOR RESISTING LATERAL DEFLECTION OF THE TUBE WITHIN THE HOUSING , SAID UPPER END OF THE TUBE BEING PROVIDED WITH A CRADLE BEVEL EDGE, WHEREBY SAID STRUCTURAL MEMBER MAY BE ERECTED TO A VERTICAL POSITION AXIALLY SUPPORTED WITHIN THE TUBE FROM A HORIZONTAL POSITION ON THE SLAB WITH ONE END THEREOF PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED IN THE UPPER END OF THE TUBE. 